Tuesday 29 May 2012

Tuesday Treasures

Hi to all and welcome to Tuesday Treasures. This is my little piece of blogland to show you what I treasure most this week and hope that you will join me in showing and sharing yours too.


This week I have a gorgeous shadow box to share. This is not one of my own, but a wonderful present given to me by Lucy at True Colours. Lucy has had a very difficult year and is in a new home awaiting her own one to be completed and remodelled following the most terrible flood earlier in the year. This saga has had an effect on Lucy's motivation and mojo for crafting, but she is certainly back on the road to creating the most wonderful pieces. Lucy this is just delightful, so please carry on experimenting and making brilliant pieces to share with us all.




You can see from the photos the wonderful techniques and materials she has used and the fabulous effects she achieves and this is even more beautiful and even better looking IRL.


So having shown you my Treasure for this week what have you got to share? Please link it below for all to see and I will certainly be over to take a peek.

I hope you have the most wonderful week and my thoughts and prayers are with my lovely FSC DT sister Lynne who is having a difficult time at the moment. Just to let you know you have my love and positive thoughts.

hugs {brenda} xox

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Sunday 27 May 2012

PanPastels - Diamond Jubilee

I loved making this patriotic tag and had fun using my 10 second studio metal and tools to make the crown.


The background is made with PanPastels and an Indigo Blu Union Jack stamp, which I am so pleased to say has been drawn properly, so many of the UJ images have not!!!! 

I die-cut a white tag for this one then stamped using embossing ink, layering blue and red PPs over the top to create the flags. To age it more I sprayed with Goosebumps, dried it and then blended pumice stone DI over.


The crown, once made and mounted on a piece of card had several treatments of black and blue paint and some alcohol inks. The beautiful picture of a younger Queen Elizabeth was downloaded from the internet.

I occasionally use digital images in my work and the tiny flags have come from Digital Crea, I re-sized the banner, printed it and cut out the individual flags to make this little bunting. You can also see the distressed background where the Goosebumps have aged the images.


With the Jubilee upon us I know there are lots of themes out there in blog-land associated with our Queen and country, so lets see what you have been making and join us over at the PanPastel UK challenge blog and be in with a chance of winning a set for yourself if you win, courtesy of Your Creativity Store our generous sponsor.

Have fun today.

hugs {brenda} xox


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Thursday 24 May 2012

Shabby Vintage card and Workshop

Two cards from me today, both very, very similar and I will explain why there is a difference in a sec, but firstly a hugs thank you to the lovely ladies who attended my workshop yesterday, Val, Judith, Joan, Pat and Wendy. We had a fabulous morning and a great laugh (courtesy of Pat most of the time), but it really was a blast.

The focus was to use patterned papers, Tim Holtz dies, embossing folders and distress inks to create a pretty layered card. Here is the sample I made for them.


During the morning, whilst demoing the different techniques and processes I managed to keep up with making a second card. Ha - that went beautifully until the part where we were assembling all the layers and elements and here's the fun bit, I had happily layered the main pieces and came to putting on the flourishes. I thought to myself 'I don't know this doesn't look quite the same as the other one', then I realised I had stuck them on upside down!!!! Typical - these things happen when you are in a rush don't they. Too late to peel them off they were stuck fast, so I turned the card back round the right way, played with the other elements and hey presto, arrived with this. In actual fact I think it still works and here's to another happy accident.


So the ladies all completed theirs and this is them -







You can see the similarities and the differences in their cards. Shame I forgot my camera and had to rely on my phone.

Thanks for a great time girls. 
You can see how intent they are at trying to get their cards finished, and they did!

hugs {brenda} xox

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Tuesday 22 May 2012

Tuesday Treasures

Here are my special little TREASURES today. The photo was taken last summer when they were playing in my garden


Inks, sprays and mask for the background, added other elements to create a collage style layout.

Tuesday Treasures is about linking up something special to share with others, so if you have a Treasure to share this week, please link up below. I will definitely pop over to have a look and hopefully others will too.

hugs {brenda} xox

Challenges to have fun with -
Frilly and Funkie - Masks and Stencils (thanks for the jog Marjie)







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Sunday 20 May 2012

PanPastels - Pastel Colours

A small offering DT from me today for the PanPastel UK challenge and I mean small because this is a mini canvas 7cm square.

This was made by covering it in vintage sewing pattern tissue paper and lightly painted with white acrylic paint and dry brushed in light pink. When that was dry I blended yellow and white PanPastels over it to create a creamy colour. Next I sprayed it with silver spray and shine then did the journalling treatment of stamping with embossing ink and dabbing pink PP over it then stamping circles in pink and white paint. The butterfly is from a Crafty Individuals pack, the Butterfly Dreams I made on the PC with other bits added from my oddments box.

I hope you will join us with your pastel creations this week at PanPastel UK challenge blog and if you do you could be in with a chance of winning some fabulous PanPastels from Your Creativity Store.

Have a fabulous Sunday and thanks for stopping by to see me.

hugs {brenda} xox

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FSC - Steampunk

My Steampunk DT contribution this week is very masculine. But not so if you pop over to the Fashionable Stamping Challenges blog and see the fabulous inspiration from my great DT sisters.


I started by covering my tag with a page from a steam power book showing a plan of something!! Next a layer of white acrylic paint, then inked over with tattered rose DI. I then put it through the Steampunk embossing folder and covered the raised areas with Iced Spruce DI and weathered wood distress powder. 


The tickets were inked with iced spruce and old paper DIs then stamped with a TH steampunk stamp in walnut stain. The gentlemen are from the Tim H Steampunk stamp set, stamped in walnut stain and then embossed with clear EP.


Love this propeller shape with a nut in the middle of it. These were inked the same as the tickets and I used the TH steampunk set of stamps again.  

A few manly embellishments from the tool box and finito.

I look forward to seeing your creations in the challenge over the next fortnight.

Have a fun Sunday whatever you are doing.

hugs {brenda} xox

Challenges to have fun with -
Simon Says Stamp and Show - Anything Goes
So Artful Challenges - Steampunk
Card and Scrap - Vintage

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Friday 18 May 2012

The Stamp Man - A card for a Queen

I was inspired by Jill's (Mrs Stamp Man) blog post a while ago, using Stampendous stamps and the Frantage technique, and combined some of the powders to create my DT card for this challenge.


The backing card crown has been stamped with embossing ink and I used a mix of embossing powders (see supplies), then blended with DIs and stamped with flitter glue on the edges and covered with variegated red gold gilding flakes.


On top of this I added a cameo also embossed with gold and black and again blended with DIs and flicked with water. The frame has been embossed with gold too. Well a queen just has to have lots of precious metals around don't they?


The half rosette was made with a border punch and I made it into a small shelf to hold another crown.  The key is a vintage one covered with Frantage embossing enamel powders and the sentiment computer produced and die-cut with Nestabilities.

Materials used -
Sizzix die - frame
Stampendous stamps - Vintage crowns, Cameo
Flitter Glue and Gilding Flakes
Embellishments from my box of bits and pieces


We would love to see your regal creations this fortnight at The Stamp Man challenge and don't forget you have a chance of winning a £10 voucher for Jill's on-line shop.

I have been very lucky this week and received two gifts. One was a present from Irene at
Eye See Crafting.
She has made this gorgeous ATC holder and entered it into Tuesday Treasures, little did I know she had made it for me, but when we met for coffee in the week she presented me with it.


Thank you Irene I love it.

The second parcel arrived in the post and was a gorgeous set of goodies I received from 
I entered their March Mini Challenge and won  -
Thank you ladies, I really appreciate this fabulous prize.

Update on my dear hubbie - he had his gall bladder taken out yesterday and is home today - amazing this key hole surgery you know. Anyway he had a huge amount of tiny stones in it so hopefully all the pain he was experiencing will disappear now.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

hugs {brenda} xox


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Tuesday 15 May 2012

Guest Signatures

'Guest Signatures' ---- Eclectic Elements


How do you keep a unique and personal handmade wedding guest book looking good for years to come?


Well this month at Unruly PaperArts the focus is on weddings and for my very first column (called Eclectic Elements) I am creating a hybrid Wedding Guest Book and an unusual way to keep it.  Yes in fact I would say it's a very unusual way!!



My title 'Guest Signatures' is a play on words and there's a big clue there especially for those who bind their own books.

So if I've tempted you then you need to pop over to Unruly PaperArts for the full details, which is where you will also find numerous articles and ideas for your inspiration from my fellow columnists and guests.

If you love altered art, I am sure you would like to take a look. I have used digital images, stamping, sewing and paper collage in these mixed media pieces and there are a couple of links to YouTube videos to help you re-create something similar if you want to.

Have fun with your wedding designs.

hugs {brenda} xox


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Tuesday Treasures 3

Welcome to Tuesday Treasures where you can link your favourite piece of art, whether it be a card, altered item, in fact just anything that is special for you this week.

I had a great day with Lucy of True Colours, a couple of weeks ago. For those of you who know Lucy, she makes these amazing altered bags and she kindly not only showed me her ones (and they are fabulous IRL), but she gave me one to alter. So having completed most of it on the day, I brought it home and just finished off the stamping and added the trim.

So this is my Treasure for the week.



I won't tell you how it is made as Lucy is going to write an on-line class for it, so keep an eye on her blog for when she is ready to begin.


What is your 'Treasure' this week? 
Why don't you link it below for fun so that others can come and visit you. I certainly will.

Have a great week and stay healthy.

hugs {brenda} xox
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Monday 14 May 2012

Shattered Stains

Yay at last I actually got a Compendium Of Curiosities 2 technique done in time to enter it into Linda's fabulous challenges at Studio L3. You all know how I love techniques and especially Tim's ones and I am lagging behind in this challenge, in completing my Creative Chemistry course and Tim's monthly tags. But I will get there. Honest!!


This fabulous technique is on Page 48 of Tim's second CoC book and creates such fabulous effects.

Tag made with tissue wrap technique - from the 12 tags of Christmas 2011 then masks and Dylusions, Cosmic Shimmer and Colour Wash sprays.  


Cogs created using the Shattered Stains technique and metal bits and pieces stained with alcohol inks.

Sentiment found on the internet and self generated on the PC.

Thanks to Linda for hosting these great challenges once again. Sorry I have been awol Linda but at last got here again. There is a fab sponsor this week - Simon Says Stamp.

Enjoy the rest of the week.

hugs {brenda} xox

Challenges to have fun with - 



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Sunday 13 May 2012

PanPastels - Sports

A vintage birthday card on the theme of sports today and using the only sports related stamp I have got!!

The textured card was stamped with the image in embossing ink and PanPastels rubbed over the top to give the ghost image in the background. I used several masks and layered embossing inks and PanPastels for the backing panel.


For the focal image I blended blue and green PanPastels on the card and then stamped with archival ink. Using the Sofft blending tools and a rubber I 'painted' the main image. Now I see it photographed, I realise I should have tried some of my team mate Claire's clouds on it. Mmmm must remember that next time.


Some simple embellishments, keeping it quite plain for a masculine card, finished it off.

To enter the PanPastel UK challenge - just pop over to their blog to see the details for entry and the fabulous inspiration from the design team. The lucky winner will receive a special trial pack of Pan colours and tools from Your Creativity Store.

Have fun with your crafting.

hugs {brenda} xox

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Saturday 12 May 2012

By Royal Decree

Well here I am with a tag for CoC and too late again. The week has just run away from me, but it hasn't helped that I have had to go to the dentist twice and have a temporary filling whilst waiting for root canal treatment. But hey ho.

My tag has been made using the 'Faded Layers' technique which can be found on P.43 of Tim's new book.

I have combined this with a few challenges -


Creative Craft Challenge - Anything Goes
Happy Daze - May Queen
Stampalot Challenge - Medals and Monarchs
Sugar Creek Hollow - tags


For the background I used a metal stencil to create the design and stamped crowns in both black archival and Flitter Glue with gilding flake added.


To finish off I stamped the queen and banner using Paper Relics stamps and the Fleur de Lis are spellbinders die-cuts. I coloured the Queen in with distress markers, but have to day I am really disappointed with the colours. So many of them are different to their DI colour.




I hope you have a wonderful weekend, looks like we are going to have a bit of sun for a change.

Take care and enjoy whatever you have planned.

hugs {brenda} xox


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