Free as a bird

Welcome to a glorious Sunday afternoon. There are some clouds in the sky and it has been really bright but somewhat windy. I hope it good wherever you are.

I am working on a large project at the moment and apart from DT work I haven't entered any challenges for fun this week so today I have had a play with alcohol inks and produced a card to enter into the Crafty Individuals challenge for this month. I loved this stamp as soon as I saw it. (But it doesn't have a name). As I slowly increase my stamps repertoire, CI is a range that I am adding to my collection (alongside my TH stamps of course). This stamp is one I bought recently and this is the first time I have inked it up. I also wanted to link this with the Play Date Cafe colour challenge, which this week is a red, mustard and white combo. I have interpreted the mustard to include gold.

The birds are a clip art download, cut out and edges inked with black soot. The sentiment I produced in word, and the background was stamped with the large text stamp from TH Papillon set.

My blogging friend Joyce from Canada should be in the UK now and Joyce if you are reading this check your emails in a day or two as it would be lovely if we could meet up next Sunday.

I hope you are enjoying the day and finding time to do something you want to do today.

Take care.

luv and hugs {brenda} xoxox

The Stamp Man Challenge # 18 - Poppies

Welcome to a new Friday challenge at The Stamp Man and the theme of Poppies has been set by the lovely Janet. Where she lives in Skipton, The British Legion are very active and her husband is organising a fund raising concert on the 25th October; he would love to have some poppy cards to sell at the function. So this week we would like to see Poppies on your creations and if you would like to donate your creation to The Concert in Skipton you can post your card to The Stamp Man, that is only an 'if' - you can enter the challenge with any Poppy themed project and will be eligible for the prize and top places whether you send them in or not.


So here is my design. I was also inspired by the red and gold colour challenge at Gingersnap Creations, where last month the overall theme was The Far East.

The supplies list and photo tell most of the story, but I found this great tutorial at Stampin Up, on how to make this poppy embellishment. Simply die cut an appropriate flower shape in thick card. Scrunch it, roll it and twist it until the layers seperate and can then be made to look like the petals of the poppy. Punch a small hole in the middle and fray some black gros-grain ribbon. I cut along the edge of a piece, frayed it out, then rolled it to fit through the hole - then you have created a very life-like poppy. The other and very unusual thing I have used is the very thin strips of red card, that curl when you trim them off. Can you see them round the poppies? I thought they looked quite funky. The bottom and right hand edge of the DP has gilding flakes added to it.

Supplies -
Poppy Stamp - created by Jill (at The Stamp Man) on her 'Framies'.
DIs - victorian velvet, barn door, forest moss, vintage photo.
Paper - unknown
TH stamps - music stamp from festive sounds
Nestabilities - Labels 5
Embossing folder - D'vine swirl
Paper Artsy dies - Grungeflowers 2 and 3
Stickles - diamond
Gilding Flake - variegated red and gold
Cosmic Shimmer Mist - red firefly
Adirondack Paint Dabber - gold
Spray and Sparkle - gold
Sentiment - my own

Go take a look at the Famies at The Stamp Man shop - they fit with the Nesties labels 5 and there are some gorgeous designs. If you click here, you will be taken staright to the page in the shop to see what these are.

I hope you have had a good week and are looking forward to the weekend. Thanks for stopping by.

luv and hugs {brenda} xoxox

Challenges to have fun with -
Bloggers Challenge - Nature
Crafts and Me - Swirls (embossing folder)
The Paper Variety - inks, mists or paint.(I've used all 3)

MAWTT Challenge 97 - Have some cake

Happy Thursday and we have a new challenge at MAWTT. Today the fabulous Shell has set the theme, linked with images we had to play with from Bows and Berries   http://www.bowsandberries.co.uk/

who are our sponsors this week. So we want to see your cake cards and projects.

I paper pieced the wedding cake using the Le Romantique G45 papers I have been using on my current wedding book project and adhered it to a small tag pocket and made two tags for it. There is actually another hidden pocket that I might use later behind the coral mount. So now I have another finished page.

Supplies
Papers from my box of bits and from Graphic 45 Le Romantique paper pad
Bows and Berries digital stamp
Marianne and Crealies Dies - leaves
Flower ribbon from my good friend Lisa
Shabby bow made with vintage ribbon
MS butterfly punch
Stickles - crystal
Promarkers
Gems, pearl pen, button, lace, twine
DCWV transparent qoute


Challenges to have fun with -
Simon Says Stamp - Paper piecing or piercing
Clear it out Tuesday - Ribbon/trim
Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes
Pollycraft - Anything Goes
Easy Craft Projects - Wedding

Enjoy the day and thanks for stopping by.

luv and hugs {brenda} xoxox

The Stamp Man ATC May Swap - Friendship

My one layer ATC

Hi All

Another new month and another new ATC challenge at The Stamp Man and this time the theme is 'friendship'. There seems to be a huge surge in popularity for the one layer and CAS cards at the moment and those of you who know me know that's not my style but I have to try things out and what better way than with an ATC. It's definitely not CAS but apart from the gems there is only one layer.

I masked off the centre piece and used DIs to get the colour. I used DI around the edge of the card to get the contrast. Next I stamped a music text all over, then stamped the sentiment and added flourishes around the edge. I used black pen for the wavy lines and faux stitching.

Supplies
DIs - bundled sage, barn door, dried marigold
Stampendous music stamp
TH stamps - shabby french
black pen and green pearl gems

luv and hugs {brenda} xoxox

LIIU - Embellish It

Welcome to another long bank holiday weekend here in the UK and I am showcasing my DT contribution for LIIU. The theme for this fortnight is - Embellish It - and the sponsor is Anna Belle Stamps  http://www.annabellestamps.com/.  AnnaBelle Stamps is an Australian craft business and offer their own exclusive line of clear photopolymer stamps made in the U.S.A., Digi stamps and papers, as well as gorgeous embellishments, twines and ribbons!  They also have weekly challenges on their blog and twice monthly a blog hop featuring one of the newly released sets with prizes!

My piece, called 'Inspire', has  numerous techniques involved in the making, -  colour wash over torn paper pieces, masking and misting, cracked paint effect, texturing with muslin AND I lost count of the number of layers of paint, ink, fabric, paper, frame, cut out stamp etc. It started as a piece of recycled card from a box and then to finish and embellish it I have used punches, glitter, pearls, butterfly, buttons, flowers and a bead. I haven't made it into a card or a hanging, but I have simply left it as a piece of art.

My shabby flower using the TH Tattered Florals die

There are at least 5 layers on this part alone. The butterfly is a MS punch. The wings are from the TH Heart Wings die.

Apart from the LIIU theme other challenges that have inspired me for this piece are -
Simon Says Stamp and Show - Buttons
Gingersnap Creations - Mists
Stamptacular - Pile It On - at least 5 layers
Sunday Stamper - Wind beneth my Wings

I used TH scallops on the edge die and Spellbinders 12" classic lace border. On the fragment piece I used alcohol inks, stamped a butterfly with archival ink and rubbed it off to see the image through the inks. I also used TH Lost and Found paper stash and cut out vintage photo mages and stuck behind the film strip.

Other Supplies
Paper Artsy Fresco Finish chalk acrylics - honey dew, london night, vintage lace, old gold.
Paper Artsy fresco Finish crackle glaze.
Paper Artsy Ink and the Dog stamps - One Penny 2
Artist acrylic paint - white
Distress stains - weathered wood, walnut stain
Distress re-inker tumbled glass
DIs - stream, slate, ginger
Tattered Angels Glimmer Mists - blue skies, vanilla breeze
Spellbinders - classic frame
Ice stickles - crystal ice
Sissiz phrase die - inspire

luv and hugs {brenda} xoxox

Grungy Monday meets Stampotique

The Key To The Secret Garden

Hi All - With DT pieces to catch up on, since coming back from Cyprus, I have only just found time to 'play', and I am enjoying every minute.

Well are you watching the wedding today? I will catch up on it later as we are all off to Thorpe Park to meet up with family who are coming up from Kent. This is a great opportunity for the younger ones to enjoy the rides while Granny looks after the little ones. Mind you I do like the water rides, so I may get a chance to have a go on them.

I hope you like this next piece of art. I am really pleased with it and have enjoyed the experimenting and playing with inks and paint and embossing powders.

I really wanted to experiment with the TH technique - a new dimension - at Grungy Monday this week. This is to create a niche for a found trinket to sit in and Tim gives a great tutorial on his blog. I also haven't entered the Stampotique challenge for a while and have several new stamps waiting to be inked and used and this week there is a great sketch to follow, so with 'anything goes' at Simon Says as well, these were my inspiration.

I coloured the mushrooms with DIs and used promarkers, the suede paint and stickles on the fairy.

The flowers were from my box and I die cut the leaves using a downloaded text paper and played with it in photoshop to get the right colours.

This shows the niche that the key is sitting in. The blog link for the tutorial is at the top of the page. I used the distress embossing powders on the key to give it more of a verdigris look.

Suppplies
Stampotique stamps - by Jill Penney and Jo Capper-Sandon
TH distrress embossing powders - peeled paint, weathered wood (on the key)
DIs - aged mahogany, peeled paint, victorian velvet, weathered wood, walnut stain, pumice stone
Stazon - timber brown
Crown suede paint - chocolate
Promarkers - satin, blushdusky pink, ivory, pear green
Sakura white glaze pen and glitter pen
Sentiment - my own
Nestie - labels one
Marianne Creatables and Crealies leaf dies
TH stamp - Nature's Moments
Tissue paper, modge podge, gesso
Stickles - crystal
Papers - TH Lost and Founf and unknown
A key from my (late) Dad's key wallet

I hope you have a great weekend. Thanks for stopping by to take a look.

luv and hugs {brenda} xoxox

MAWTT Challenge 96 - Anything Goes

Wow there were some amazing recycling projects entered into last weeks challenge at MAWTT, it's fabulous to get so many ideas and inspiration from others.

So how are you all my dear blogging buddies? This week the lovely Pami has chosen an 'anything goes' challenge for us, so this is everyone's chance to play along.

This week we are being sponsored by The Stamp Man - another of my DT challenge blogs - and there is a fabulous set of Hero Arts stamps up for grabs.

The Stamp Man has an on-line shop, a fortnightly challenge blog and a monthly ATC challenge and swap.
The shop has a varied range of products from basic materials through to more specialised items from companies such as Ranger, Spellbinders, USArtQuest, Woodware, Moonglow and Walnut Hollow Metal.
Jill also has her well known range of 'Aspects of Design' stamps which include a brand new set called 'Framies' that can be used with the nestabilities labels range. These are fabulous designs that enable you to use them on their own or as as toppers when used with the dies. This range will soon be extended so it will be well worth popping back to the shop to see what new images and labels will be available.

Challenges that inspired me this week are -
Paper Sundaes - Sparkle and pearls
The Shabby Tea Room - Photo inspiration and butterflies - I have the wedding theme and the butterflies
Crafty Cardmakers - A Royal Wedding

My Partner In Crafting Crime - Wedding photo inspiration
Totally Gorjuss - Bling It On
CCEE Stampers - Add a butterfly

I decided to use the lovely Graphic 45 Le Romantique paper pad to make a wedding card and just hope it doesn't get seen before the big day in August. Unfortunately we are not able to attend this one as we will only just be getting back from our annual Lanzarote trip on the Thursday with the wedding being in Italy on the Friday - just too tight a turnaround.

Anyway, I have returned to embellishing and using bling for a change. I really enjoyed making this after all my recent experimentation with grungy things. The paper is just gorgeous, so I made a few embellishments - the butterflies, hearts and flowers and I added glitter and pearls to the main image and bride to the right of her and added glitter pens to the printed butterflies.

The thing that took me the most time was making the circular sentiment, I just couldn't get it right - but I persevered and am really quite pleased with it now it's finished. I used Photoshop Elements and overlaid the final image onto another paper from the G45 paper pad to get the coloured design and effect I wanted.

I'll be back tomorrow with a project I have been making for LIIU, so take care.

luv and hugs {brenda} xoxox

Divas By Design Challenge Blog

Hi Everyone - I hope you have had a great Easter weekend and we have another long weekend to come - can't be bad.

I thought I would let you know there is a new challenge blog starting on May 4th, with fortnightly challenges and oh boy this is soooo exciting. I was asked by Rebekah and Jo weeks ago to be part of the team and of course I said yes. We now have 14 members with some amazing talent so there will be some incredible inspiration for you to look at.

I hope you will come and join us as it is such a free and easy challenge blog and  we invite everyone to join in, whatever style you prefer. You may use any type of stamp or digi stamp you like or no stamp at all! You may enter any type of project (card, layout, ATC etc) as long as you follow the challenge theme. What more could you ask for?

Looking forward to seeing you there .

luv and hugs {brenda} xoxox

Memories Book

HI All. This is scheduled as I am looking after the girls today while their Mum and Dad get on with some decorating. As the weather is so nice I am sure we will be having fun in the garden and round the park.

I showed you the cover of my next memories book this morning and for this second post for me today I would like to show you one of the pages for it.

This has been inspired by the challenge at Linda's Studio 3 blog for the Grungy Monday challenge. Being away has prevented me from entering it for the past couple of weeks but I am here and fully ready to be learning from the master himself again. The challenge this week is to use texture fades and distress. I have used this technique before on a Christmas tag, but it's fabulous to apply it in a diffrent context.

Check for the link to Tim's video to find out how to do this technique.

Would you believe I used 6 different DIs on this?

Here is the piece, now used as a pocket with a tag behind it.

This is the tag - made with an image from the Graphic 45 Le Romantique paper pad. The background is covered in DIs, spritzed with water, heat dried and stamped over.

This shows the finished page and the lace and ribbon provides a place for tags and photo mounts to be inserted.

Supplies used -
TH texture fade - retro circles
DIs - worn lipstick, barn door, dried marigold, tumpled glass, weathred wood, walnut stain
TH rubber stamp - dotted plume
Graphic 45 - le romantique papers
lace, ribbon, pearl gems

This page was also inspired by these challenges -
Sunday Stampers - All you need is love
Simon Says Stamp and Show - A Lord Tim of Holtz technique
Simon Says Stamp Challenge - Emboss it
Pile It On - Smells like rubber
Drunken Stamper - Technology Sucks

Don't forget to visit these fabulous challenges and to go see Tim's blog too.

Enjoy.

luv and hugs {brenda} xoxox

The Stamp Man Challenge # 18 - Resist technique

Hi All    -    Happy Good Friday   -   Have you had your hot cross buns today?

It's another beautiful sunny day here in Surrey with wall to wall sunshine. What a fabulous week it has been for getting in the garden and I have done so much, it is looking very tidy and ready for summer. I even have done most of my pots with summer bedding - just waiting to get some geraniums and to do my hanging baskets and I will be done.

On to the main business of the post. Welcome to the Friday Stamp Man challenge where the lovely Lisa O is challenging us to produce a card or project that includes the resist technique. As always the challenge is sponsored by Jill at The Stamp Man and the winner will receive a £10.00 voucher to spend at the shop. There are lots of new products on-line so do go and have a look.

Now as you know I had a play last weekend and enjoyed the experience but was not inspired by what I had created, but, with my next memories book now well and truly on the make I am much happier. However I cannot show you the totally finished cover today as 'the cat will be let out of the bag' so to speak but here is the cover of the project so far
.

Supplies
Wooden book
Household paints - coral flair, duck-egg blue, lost lake, sophistication, white
Claudine Hellmuth - tacky back canvas, gesso, multi-medium matte
DIs - dried marigold, worn lipstick, barn door, weathered wood, tumbled glass
Clear embossing ink and powder
TH stamps - shabby french, tattered elements
Graphics 45 Le Romantique paper pad.
Ideaology - ornate book plate, fragment charm, grungeboard letters - alphabet soup
Cosmic twinkles - red fire
Items for embellishing from my stash

 These photos show you the 'recipe' I have followed -

The wooden book bought from the Fanborough Show earlier in the year

This shows the boards which have been primed and painted. I used multi medium to stamp onto the sticky back canvas and then washed over with watered down household paint. This was stuck over both front and back boards and spine to allow the boards to open.

See Claudine Hellmuth's tutorial - HERE

I also primed and painted the inside pages.

I used the embossing resist technique on the front cover board.

See Tim Holtz tutorial - HERE

The book is coming together.

I then started to embellish it.

I used lace, inked muslin, flowers, a fragment charm and die cut leaves, hearts and butterfly.

Painted and glittered TH grungeboard letters and coral lace have finished it off so far.

Challenges that inspired me this week are -
Sunday Stampers - All you need is love
Simon Says Stamp and Show - A Lord Tim of Holtz technique
Simon Says Challenge - Emboss it
Pile It On - Smells like rubber

So I hope we will see you at The Stamp Man Challenge for this next fortnight.

Have a great Easter weekend.

luv and hugs {brenda} xoxox