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

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

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}

Fashionable Stamping Tag

Happy Sunday.

It's been lovely to have the weekend, but I haven't been able to get any crafting done. It was my daughter's birthday yesterday and last night was also the UK wedding reception for Jamie and Helen, who got married in Italy a few weeks ago. That was the one I just couldn't get to. Anyway we had a fabulous evening with the family and with Bill and Margaret and other close friends. I have now given Helen the wedding book I was making them and I will blog the final pictures later.

Onto my DT interpretation of the Fashionable Stamping Challenge this week, which is to make a tag and I have used most favourite theme at the moment - sewing and dress forms.

I have some new sets of Andy Skinner stamps and couldn't resist using the 'A stitch In Time' set and another new set to me from Personal Impressions 'Vintage Sewing'.

Colours used - milled lavender, spun sugar, antique linen, vintage photo, aged mahogany, sandal.
The sewing tape was stamped with paint dabber and immediately clear embossed, then the tag was inked using Tim's wrinkle free distress technique. Images over-stamped and the dress form stamped, inked and cut out. With some added embellishments I was quite pleased with the outcome, including the little pieces on shrink plastic.

I hope you will come and join us in this challenge with a tag that must include stamping on it (no digis allowed). Also do pop over to see the wonderful creations from the design team, we are a large group and their inspiration is amazing. There will also be a prize for the winner chosen by the design team.

Enjoy your week ahead. I have another full week at school and have got to sort out some builders who are erecting some new houses right next to the Foundation Stage playground, but who are not working to health and safety rules it seems to me. So I shall be onto them - again!!! Plus the eldest children are away on a residential visit in Shropshire - I so wish I could have gone.

Take care.

luv and hugs {brenda} xoxox

Monochromatic for the Stamp Man

The new challenge is live at The Stamp Man and for this fortnight Lisa has challenged us to use white and one other colour. Don't ask me how I settled on green, I have no idea, it just happened - so like me I know.

My TH stamps have come out again with DIs and a white gel pen. I also played with marbling using alcohol inks.

Supplies
Tim Holtz stamps - fairytale frenzy, slight alterations
Distress Inks - shabby shutters, peeled paint, forest moss, bundled sage
Adirondack ink pad - lettuce
Alcohol inks - lettuce, meadow, bottle, willow
Inkssentials white opaque pen
Die TH elegant flourishes
Sakura glaze pen in green
Stickles - lime green

I hope you will pop over to the Stamp Man challenge blog and take a look at the fabulous inspiration from the team and hopefully enter the challenge. Don't forget Jill kindly donates a £10.00 voucher to the winner who is chosen by the DT and if you take a look at the on-line shop there is free P&P over £20.00. Such a good deal.

Well it's the end of my first full week back at work and it is so strange being a head again after four years doing other things. It is lovely to have my own school and to have a group of staff and children that you see every day, to build relationships and get to know well. It's very different to my last school where there were nearly 400 hundred pupils - here there are less than 90. Let's see how it goes next week.

Take care and have a good weekend..

luv and hugs {brenda} xoxox

Challenges to have fun with -
Stamp Something - Anything Goes - Last challenge good luck ladies and thanks.
I Brake For Challenges - Backgrounds - I have different textures and techniques to the pieces that make up my background.
The Paper Variety - Monochromatic
Three Muses - Words
Try it on - Monochrome

Back to School with the Divas

Good morning everyone

A big welcome to new followers Von and Patricia and all my new Fashionable Stamping Challenges Teamies. I am pleased you are able to be with me on my creative journey.

Today the lovely Divas are challenging you to create something with a 'back to school' theme and this is so apt for me isn't it? I started back to school on Monday and we have had 2 training days and today the children start back, I am so looking forward to meeting them - wish me luck.

I have made a vintage memo board for my design team piece. The backing paper which is from a Victorian copy book, I found by googling and the alphabet sheet is from the Graphics Fairy. The schoolroom picture I cut from a vintage alphabet flashcard that I purchased last year. I stamped the torn note book edge with a Stampotique stamp I won and then added some school ephemera - one of my old ink pens, an old nib of mine that I have had for years, a shrink plastic ink bottle (made using a paper relics perfume bottle stamp - I added the word ink and the colouring to make it look as though there is ink in it). The innkblots are another Stampotique stamp I won. A nostalgic touch don't you think?

I hope you will pop over to the Divas by Design challenge blog to see the details and what the rest of the lovely ladies have created.

Take care.

luv and hugs {brenda} xoxox

Challenges to have fun with -
Stampin' Sisters in Christ - Quiet colours
Crazy 4 Challenges - Back to school
The Cheerful Stamp Pad - Let's reuse
The Paper Variety - Use stamps

In the Garden

Sorry I am a bit late with my ATC for the Stamp Man, but yesterday I went back to work, just a casual  day, no children in, only staff but I have files I need to go through today so I decided to bring them home rather than go in as it takes me 55 minutes to get there in the car.

Here is my ATC for the garden theme, I used the watercolour technique for the background and just added the little butterflies and a sentiment. I chose autumnal colours as we now seem to be at that point when the leaves are just starting to turn - how sad. I have entered this into the Simon Says Stamp and Show blog hop.

Supplies
Stamps - TH artful flight, shabby french, mini clear stamps from QVC
DIs - shabby shutters, peeled paint, bundled sage

If you are an ATC lover why not pop over to the ATC swap blog and take part. we look forward to seeing your creations.

Enjoy the weekend, the sun is shining at the moment - so long may it last and we have a 60th birthday celebration to attend tomorrow night for my friend Yvonne. I decided I would give her the travel tag card I made and posted last week.

Take care.

luv and hugs {brenda} xoxox