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

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

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 - 

Sugar Creek Hollow - Tags
Cheerful Stamp Pad - Tags

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

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

Cheerful Stamp Pad - Tags

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

Shabby Vintage

I saw a quilted card on the internet some time ago and have been wanting to make something similar. So here it is.

Sewing done directly onto the card .......

A lace flower, handmade, and a rolled fabric flower also handmade with a couple of shop bought ribbon roses.

A pin with beads on and a sentiment, computer generated.

A couple of other quick cards made using the Tilda Gardenparty paper pad. Just love those vibrant designs.

I have some birthdays coming up and need some 'flat' cards to get in the post and this one is embellishment free and very flat.

This last card I am entering into Ali's Vintage Page Designs Birds challenge.

hugs {brenda} xox

Tuesday Treasures

Do you have something special this week which is a treasure to you? If so, please link it below so we can share in each other's wonderful things. Be it something you have made, a photograph of something special or things you have collected like me.

Look at the treasures I picked up last week at a charity shop.

A book of music, a hard backed rounded bag which opens a bit like a shell and .....

a fabric frame which was only £1.99. A bargain eh?

This is how I have altered it. A vintage bird as the central image, a big shabby bow and lots of little embellishments. I would like to add this to Ali's blog Vintage Page Designs where she has a challenge theme of Birds.

A lace butterfly from the Funkie Junkie's Boutique, old buttons, another of my frozen Charlotte dolls.

The bluebird and flower is off a piece of jewellery, there is also some trim and charms.

I am looking forward to seeing your special treasures.

hugs {brenda} xox

Fashionable Stamping Challenges - A capital city

I am definitely flying the flag for Fashionable Stamping Challenges today and "London Calling" is my theme. I am so lucky that I can get a train locally and be in the heart of London in 40 minutes, whether that's for a show and meal, an exhibition or gallery; or just mooching around the shops and places like Covent Garden.

This is my piece depicting my capital city where you can find so many famous places, wonderful buildings, architecture and beautiful walks. Some of these things are shown here.

I started with paper from the docrafts papermania range called bookprint. This was inked and spritzed to give it colour and an aged feel. I have stamped using Indigo Blu Pomp and Pageantry set, made the title and added some bunting and other little bits.

Show us your capital city at FSC this fortnight and you could be in the running for a prize or place on the catwalk.

My lovely teamies have made some fabulous creations and of course from around the world.

hugs {brenda} xox

PanPastels - Anything Goes

So today at PanPastels UK challenges you can enter whatever you are working on and show us your wonderful creations.

I have made a shabby sewing/dress card using a TH embossing folder and the B Line Cinderella stamp. The embossed background was covered with PanPastels as is the image and both were then embossed with clear EP.

The mini frame is covered with glamour dust and I made a shabby flower with the addition of PPs so is the tag. The backing paper is from my bits box.

We look forward to you joining us over at the PanPastels UK challenge blog and when you enter you will be in with a chance of winning 3 digital images from LEJ Designs, which just happens to be Lindsay, one of the design team members.

Thanks for stopping by today and thank you even more if you leave me a comment, I so appreciate it.

Enjoy your Sunday.

hugs {brenda} xox

The Stamp Man - Your Favourite Technique

Today the lovely Angela is challenging us to make something using our favourite technique. Now if you are anything like me I took one look at that and thought where do I start? I love so many techniques. Shall I write them all out and pull one out of a hat? No not really. But I decided that although I use blend and flick and masking alot with DIs and sprays I decided to go with a favourite that I don't use so often and that is T!m's Rusted Enamel technique.

So here is my Stamp Man DT piece, I hope you like it. If you want to see how to do this technique in more detail it is in the Compendium of Curiosities Volume 1.

Supplies -

Distress Inks - Bundled Sage, Shabby Shutters, Walnut Stain

Archival Inks - Coffee, Rose Madder, Olive

Stamps - Tim Holtz - Mini Classics,     Stampendous - Pensive Portrait,    Artemio - Butterfly Collage

Distress Stains - Victorian Velvet, Dusty Concord, Weathered Wood

The Rusted Enamel background.

We look forward to you joining is at The Stamp Man and if you do you will be in with a chance of winning a £10 voucher to the On-line store.

Have a wonderful Friday and a great weekend.

hugs {brenda} xox

Challenges to have fun with -

Snazzys - Spring Colours